Spanish football clubs told to cancel contract deals with betting companies. According to a letter sent by a government minister on Wednesday, Spanish football clubs funded by gambling firms were advised to terminate their contracts before the end of the season in anticipation of a new gambling advertising law.
The letter signed by the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Alberto Garzon, and seen by Reuters, told the clubs that once the new Royal Decree is accepted by a cabinet meeting and written into law, contracts with gambling firms will be prohibited.
The letter added that betting companies sponsoring teams and athletes had “contributed to normalising a practice with serious health and social risks which need to be minimised in the field of advertising.”
It said that the position of an athlete as a role model led to a spike in gambling among young people aged 18-25, rising from 29% to 40% in the last four years. The amount of money spent by young people on gambling rose by 13% annually.
Seven of the 20 teams in Spanish soccer’s top division La Liga are sponsored by gambling companies, including Europa League holders Sevilla and six-times league champions Valencia.
[image: Sevilla FC]
